Drop-stitch mechanism for knitting machines



Jan. 5 1926.

Y w. L. LENGEL DROP STITCH MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed NOV. 5,1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 @Henman Jan. 5 1926.-

1,568,749 W. L. LENGEL DROP STITCH MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES FiledNov, s, 1921 4 Sheets-sheet 2 Jan. 5 1926.

W; L. LENGEL DROP STITCH MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed NOV. 5,1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 @www Jan. 5 1926.

1,568,749 w. L. LENGEL DROP-STITCH MEGHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES FiledNov. s. 1921 4 sheets-sheet '4 -Patented Jan. .5, 1926.

-fUNiTgD STAT@ l 1,568,749 PATENT QFFICE WILLIAM L. LENeVsL, on EsaminaPnnnsYLveNrA, nssrerron rro THE NOLDE sa HoRsToo., QF READING,PENNSYLVANM, .A ooRroLaA'rIoN oF rENNSYLVANIA.

. v DROP-saffron Mncrrlinrsn son narrative MACHINES.

Application led November, 1,921. Serial No.n 512,482.

To all w hom t may concern Beit knloivn thatl, WILLIAM L. LENGEL,

ja 'citiaen of the United States, residing at .leajding in the ,countyof Berks andv State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newandfu'seftil Improvements in Drop-Stitch Mechanism for KnittingMachines, of ivhich thefollowingis a specification.

` My invention relates to circular knitting vmachines. employing acomplete circular seriesV of,needles, and my object is to producedrop-stitch patterns inthe knitted fabric I'bythe lowering out of actionof certain needles arranged in spaced pairs around the In eeikillecylinder, and lto close saidpatterns by. raising into action certain ofsaid pairs independently' of the other pairs, and subseqiientlyraisingthe latter to produce a soli/'dfknit circular fabric Whendesired; a further object being to positively insure the resumption'ofknitting by the raised needles lifting into 'action `first one `and`then the other ofeach of spaced pair in ,successive rotations of theneedle cylinder.

' My invention is fully vdescribed in connection With the accompanyingdrawings showing my nnprovedA needle-actuating means l and the automaticmechanism `for operating ithe saine `during continuous knitting; thenovelfeatures' being fully set forth 1n the siibjoinedl claims.

Fig` 1 is a front elevation of a portion of` a knittingfvmaohineembodying my invention, :only such parts essential to the disclosurejofmy improvements being indicated. Fig. 2'i`s a plan view of the cam ringand its- Vcoopeiating parts. y3 is a lsectional view of the latter on`the line -3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. l is a fragmentarymsection on the line4:'-4 of Fig'. 2. `r"Figs, 5, 6, and 7 are detail diagrammatic viervsshowing successive positions of the lifter cam actuating mechanism. Fig.8 isan interior diagrammatic view of the developed cam ring.

9 indicates a continuous stocking fabric productof `my improvedmachine.v

Figs. 10 and 11 indicate the pairsv of neevdiesemployed among the usualshort-buttV and `long-butt needles respectively land "adapted to belowered ont knitting action to lfOduee drop-stitch patterns. i e

Fig. `12 indicates diagrammatically,the arrangement of' thespecially-butted needles 'sin the needle cylinder,- to produce drop.-

dles only in position therein.

The machine illustrated in the drawings is similar in a general Way tothe type shown in Rohinsons Patents No. 1,262,568, dated April 9, 1918,andNo. 1,339,715 dated May 11, 1920; essential improvements providing'for yemploying a full set of needles, instead of having some removed asin the patent; and to improved means foractuatthe full set of needles toproduce desired drop-stitch patterns, or to close some'or all of saidpatterns by the improved manner of lifting the needles backto action toinsure their positive resumption of knitting. The advantage yof having afnll set of needles in knitting a stockingnot only permits of closing`any drop stitch pattern Wheny desired, but permits of knitting aplain-fabric advanceltoe portion, see 9, which plain fabric greatlyfacilitates the transfer of the stocking to a looper machine for theusual finishing operation.

ln my improved machine l employ, as usual, a needlecylinderhav'ingiapproiiimately tivo half-circleseries of needlesprovided respectively vvith long butts and short butts, the formeradapted to knit the front half and top foot `portion of a stocking, andthe latter the rear half and bottom of the foot and the heel and toepockets, allfin Well known manner. y L 'y i To produce drop-stitchpatterns, I preferably employ, in spaced pairs arranged aronnd theneedle cylinder, as indicated in Figs. 12 and 13, needles havingspecialbutts, which lf substitute for theusdal long and short butt needles atthese places; those employed'among the reeiilar short butt seriescomprising pairs made up of a needle lOhaving an intermediate"lengthbutt 410, and a needle 11 having an intermediate length butt 11a with abottom extension 11, as shown clearly `in Fig.` 10; and those emN ployedamong' the regular long butt series comprising pairs made up of needle12 having an intermediate length butt 12' With an additional butt 12bspaced above the latter, and a needle 13 having an intermediate butt 13andan additional britt 131? similar to needle 12, `with a' bottomextension '13c similar to the extension of needle 11,'Whioh Aneedles 12and 13 larey clearly indicated in Fig. 1l. The intermediate length butts10, ll, l2, and 13a, as the name implies, are of a lengt-h intermediatethe length ot the regular long and short butts, while the additionalbutts l2b and 13b are of a length shorter than the regular short butts,and are arranged to clear the slightly cut-back inner wall ot the camcylinder and its opeating cams except such ot the latter as are intendedto operate on these additional butts.

Referring now to Fig. S, which shows only cams essential to disclosingmy invention, 20 represents the top center cam, 21 and 22 the stitchcams, 23 the center levelling cam, and 24 the needle rest, all of whichare as heretofore and operate in well known manner upon the needlebutts. Beneath the needle rest 24 and parallel therewith, is an idlebutt-path 25 for the lowered needles, which path communieates with theneedle rest through inclined outlet passage-ways 2G and 2T and inletpassage-way 2S; a medium-butt downcam 30 being movable into the path otthe needle butts at the entrance to the latter passage-way, and liftercams 31 and 82 controlling the return movements through passage-ways 26and 27 as hereinafter more fully described. 40-40 represents a twopartinstep-cam, sometimes heretofore called a dividing-cam, the raisingportion et() thereof being cut back so as to act only on the long butts,while the lowering portion -l-O acts on both long and intermediatebutts. And itl and 42 indicate respectively an eXtra-butt lifting cam,and an extra-butt lowering-cam, the former being moved into and out ofoperative position only when the instep-cam is in raised position, andthe latter being moved into position only when medium-butt down-cam 3()is swung out oit position. The particular mechanism for automaticallyoperating these needle-actuating cams will later herein be more fullydescribed, but irst I will now describe the required cam movements toproduce a stocking having adrop-stitch pattern as indicated in Fig. 9,which shows a continuous stocking fabric that is afterwards severed asusual into separate lengths on theline 9-9. At this point of severance aplain knit tubular fabric is being produced by the action of all theneedles, which plain fabric is changed at the beginning of thenextstocking leg by the lowering out of action of the spaced pairs otneedles l0ll and l--lB to produce drop-stitch patterns around both thefront and rear, which lowering is accomplished by moving into actionmedium-butt down-cam 30. This Cam 30 acts not only upon the intermediatebutts but also upon all long butts, the latter however being raised backto the knitting path b v the inclined 'ii-*ail 2.9 at the entrance topassageway 28 which passage-way )s of a dep/th to receive only theintermediate-butts and lower them to idle path 25.

The needles lO-ll and 1.2-1.3 are thus lowered out o't knitting actionwith their intermediate butts lying in idle path 25, in which positionthey are continued during the knitting olf the entire leg portion o'fthe stocking. producing the desired drop-stitch patterns. At thebeginning' ot the heel pocket it is desirable, as is v-:ell understood,to close the rear drop stitch patterns so as to knit a plain labric inthe heel, foot and toe, Jfor greater strength and comfort, and in orderto positively assure the resumption of knitting by the returned needlesI provide improved means for lifting` tirst one ot each pair et loweredneedles,-all needles 11,-- back to action, and in a subsequent rotationof the needle cylinder lifting the remaining needles of thesepai1's,-all needles 10,-back to action. lt will also be understood thatto continue the drop-stitch patterns unbroken down the top of the foot,needles l() and 1l must be li'lted, while needles l2 and 13 remain innon-knitting position. rl`his lifting of the needles lt) and ll isaccomplished by litter cams 3l and the former tirst acting en the needlebutti extensions llC to raise the needles ll until their butts ll enterpassageway 2G which raises them hack to the knitting path; after whichlifter cam 32 acts upon the butts l0n ot' needles l() to 'return themthrough passage-wav 2T back to knitting action. Lifter cams and 32 willof course act also upon extensions 13 and l2 of needles 13 and l2respectively, but these needles are lowered before passing the knittingcams by moving into action eXtra-butt down-cam 42, which acts upon eXtrabutts 13 and lZJ to lower their needles until their butts 13 and l2enter passagefwn).v and back to the idle path Upon the withdrawal oilitter cams 3l and 32 and extrabutt down-cam 42, needles l0 and ll areback in knitting action amongl the .short butt needles and needles 12and l?) are still lowered out ot action in idle path 25, which actionhas been accoiru'ilished in a simple manner requiring a minimum numberot' needle butts and extra eaux i2. lnstep cam -tO--attt1 is thenoperated as hereto-tore to raise. the long butt needles tor the usualreciprocative knitting ot the heel pocket. and again operated at the endoi" the latter to return these long butt needles tor the knitting of thetoot portion. lie't'orc beginning the toe pocket l prefer iirst to closethe drop stitch patterns which have been continued down the top ot thefoot, and to this end I again operate cams 3l and to li'i't first allneedles 13 and then all needles 12 in the manner heretofore described.cam i-2 remaining idle at this time so that the needles l2 and l?. willbe retiuzud lo knitting action to produce Yfrom this point a plain knit`tubular 'fa-bric.. y:In operating vinstep-,canti lO-40a tor lifting thelong butt needles preparatory to reciprocatively knitting the`toepocket,lit will be understood that lthe -needles l2and lmustatthispointalso be raised with the latter, and toaccomplish gthislemploy-,extrafbutt `lifting-,cam 4l with cam 4,0?40@ which acts ,uponextra butts 12" and `llto raise'them as .rportion 4t() raises the `longy;butts,all being lowered 4together later .after completion, of theheelpocket by the portion 40a.- Theplain knit tubular fabric iscontinuedbeyondthe toe pocket to form an advancetoe portion, this plainknit fabric greatly facilitating the transfer to a looper machinefor aiinishing operation.

Having thus described the sequence and essential operations of thecamsvto vproduce a' knitted stocking with the Adesired drop-StitGhpatternS, I willvnow describe the preferredmechanism illustratedin the drawings for automatically `accomplishing these camimovements.

` Theknitt-ing cams20, 2l, 22, and 23 aetn- 4ate the needle rbutts inwellnknown manner and` needI no description. Instep cam LO--dO asheretofore, lies always in the path of the needlebutts, withportion 40cnt back` so, as to clear :all but the long' butts, andditsYverticalrslide member is raised andv `lowered, in well known Amannerthrough bellfcrank 5l, pivotedat52, said crank be- `ing connected inusual'manner, not shown, with pattern drum. vmounted on `pattern drumshaft ,56. Secured tothe slide-way 50 is abracket57 to whichispivotallysecured at '158,oneend of a swinging arm k59, the

other end vofthe latter extending through a y t vertical slotGOin aslide-.member guide-plate extension 61, and carryingan inclined-tacepresser-'head 62. This presser-head 62 is adaptedto bear against thespring-retracted 'shank-portion 63 'fot eXtra-butt lifting-cam 'altomove the same into needle-butt contacting position whentheslide 50 islifted.L The .arm 59 isfree to swing on its vpivot58 but Vwhentl1e0ca`1n40-40a` is moved to raised lposition by vertical lifting ofslide 50, cam eil is project-ed into .the path of the eXtra vbuttsotneedles l2'and `13 by v'head y*62 bear- Ying on shank 63.' K "thatporton 40a is elevated out of the way This action is timed so beforecametl is projected, and projection '68 releases .the latc'hmember so asto permit ysaid spi-ii11g-retracted 4earn 4l to withu draw beforeislicle50i is operated t0 lower cam wf-4W, l'zwoiding any clashinglof-the camsin the `necessarily restricted space in .v-tofore described,'to Vlowerneedles ,l2 and Al?) nntilvtheir intermediate butts 12L fand 13a `passthrough.passageway 28 backfto idle path25,.isprovided as shown withaspring retracted shank portion 70, theprojecting end 7l 'thereof' beingpreferably bent4 to `form `an,angular extension againstfwhich a presserarm 72, carried by Vertical vsleeve shalttvT-lis adapted to press cam 42into the path` of the needle butts.` Intermittentipar.- tia-l rotarymovement is imparted to ,said sleeve shaft A78, as shown, by contact ofitsV actuating varm 7 4 with a pattern lug `-75 on pattern drum 55. 1

"lvlediumbutt down-cam 30 is carriedv by an arm 80 pivoted atv8l so asto swing said cam in a vertical plane from and toward the needle battpath, a spring 82 normally maintaining the cam in idle raised position.The arm 8O has a divided vertical extension, one portion 83 tormingacontact projection for a `purpose later herein described, and theA'other extension 84 adapted for con-tact of a presser arm 85, the spacebetween forming a recess for a spring locking latch 86. The presser arm`85 is carried by a vertical shaft S7 and is adapted to swingthe cam 30ina preliminary movement preparatory to entering the same into the path`ofthe needle butts, partial rotary movementbeing imparted to shaft l87by itsactnating 100 arm 88 contacting with a pattern lug 89 on the.pattern drum 55. The vmovement of the presser arm 85, as stated, onlyyperforms .a .preliminary swinging movementiofthe cam 30 toward ythepath of the needle butts, the "5 final `movement of the latter beingaccomplished by the needle-cylinder-*carried projection GS bearing on`extension 83 to depress the latter and, swing the cam 30 through itsfinal movement into the path of 1110 the needle butts, in whichpositionit is now vheldby latch 86 entering the opening betweenextension SSand 84. The projection 68 is `properly set between the dropstitch patterns so as to enter the cam 30 at vthe H5 ,proper :pointbetween said patterns insuring very accurate operation and permitting`close location of the patterns. Upon releasing latch 86 the cam 30 willbe immediately withdrawn by its spring 82, the latch releasing movementbeing accompli-shed through its stud .9() and a releasing finger 92carried by said presser arm I85. The withdrawal movement of arm 85 fromprojection 88 vis caused by the pattern drum 55 f1 turning .toreeshaft-actuating arm 88 kfrom its pattern lug 89, such movement of arm85 swinging the releasing finger thereon to ,contact with stud of t the.theblatten latch .and tree 1 This preliminary setting of cam 30 by thepattern mechanism, and completion of its movement by cylinder-carriedcam 68 is to insure the snapping into position of said cam between theclosely arranged drop stitch needles. Referring to Fig. 12 it will beseen that the timing of this entry of cam 30 between the pairs of dropstitch needles -11 must be very accurate, and any slight. variation inthe pattern mechanism, as a stretching of the pattern chain, controllingdrum would be greatly increased at the point of 'action on arm 81 of cam30, causing said cam to strike the extended butts of needles 10-11instead of swinging to lowered position between spaced pairs of thesaine. By preliminarily setting cam leaving only a slight furthermovement for action of cani 68, such entry between the pairs of needles10-11 is insured, as cam 68, carried with the needle cylinder, may beaccurately positioned, and the patternmechanism may be set to act moreor less ahead of time. This same nicety of adjustment is required inshifting cams 31 and 32 into action, and is provided for by cylindercarried trips 130 and 131 which will properly shift said previously setcams at a very definite point in the rotation of the needle cylinder, aswill now be more fully described.

Lifter cams 31 and 32 as stated, control the outlet passageways 26 and27 respectively and operate in successive rotations of the needlecylinder to raise the needles of each drop stitch pair singly so as topositively insure their resumption of knitting; and their automaticoperation from the piattern drum, as shown in the drawings, ispreferably provided for as follows:

Two movements of these cams 31 and 32 are required inthe knitting of astocking, one for lifting needles 10 and 11 before the forming of theheel pocket, and another for lifting needles 12 and 13 before formingthe toe pocket; the pattern drum accordingly having two pattern lugs and101, identical in shape and spaced so as to perform the movements at theproper time. The lugs 100 and 101 have two steps, as shown, contactingwith one end of a centrally pivoted lever 102 and imparting thereto twoprogressive lifting actions, timed to occur in different rotations ofthe needle cylinder. The opposite end of lever 102 is connected by alink 103 to one end of a second lever 104, pivoted at 105 and having itsopposite end 106 inturned and forked as shown to engage a rocker arm107. Cam 31 is vertically movable in the cam ring as shown, with anintegral stud 108 projecting outwardly through a slot 109 in said ringwall, and carrying a pendant arm 110. A stud 111 on the free end of armis engaged in an angular slot 112 of a plate 113 pivoted at 1111 andprovided with a stud 115 engageable by the end 116 of rocker arm 107. Acoil spring 117 on the pivot post 118 for arm 107, bears on stud 115 toswing the plate 113 on its pivot 111. Cain 32 is also vertically movablein the cani ring, with a ringslot-engaged projecting stud 120 carrying apendant arm 121, the latter provided with a stud 122 engaged in anangular slot 123 of a plate 124v pivoted at 125. Also pivoted at 125 anarm 126 carrying a stud 127 engageable between the opposite spreadforked end 128 of rocker arm 107; a coil spring on pivot shaft 125connecting said plate 124 and arm 126 normally tends to swing themtoward one another. The cooperation of the parts above set forth toproduce the desired action of cams 31 and 32, will now be described,refereiice being had particularly to Figs. 5, 6, and 7, in which Fig. 5shows the position assumed by the cooperative parts when cams. 31 and 32are in idle lowered position; l" 6 the position of the parts after apreliminary movement before the actual movement of cam 31, and Fig. 7 asimilar preliminary movement of the parts for cam 32, and the lockedposition of the parts for cani 31 after its final movement.

Fig. as stated, shows the parts in the position assumed when cams 31 and32 are in idle lowered position. Before dividing the needles for thereciprocative knitting of the heel pocket, pattern drinn 55 moves itslug 100 until the end of lever 102 is lifted upon the first step of saidlug, this movement swinging arm 107, through connecting link 103 andlever 10st, to the position shown in Fig. 6. In the latter position theend 116 of arm 107 has moved away from lug 115, permitting spring 117 toswing plate 113 on its pivot 114. until pendant arm 110 is swung tovertical position against a stop, not shown, lug 111 engaging in thevertical portion of angular slot 112 to limit the swing of said plate.At this point a trip carried by the needle cylinder passes under pendantarm 110 to raise the same and its connected cani 31 and lift the latterinto active position in the cam ring, in which position it is locked byfurther swinging movement of the plate 113 permitted by the lifting ofstud 111 to the angular portion of slot 112 and the clearance providedbetween the stud 115 and end 116 of arm 107, this final swingingmovement of the plate being indicated in Fig. 7. Then pattern drumfurther rotates in a subsequent rotation of the needle cylinder, lever102 is lifted upon the second step of lug 100 and arm 107 is furtherswung to the position indicated in Fig. 7. In this latter position arm126, through engagement of stud 127 in forked end 128 of rocker arm 107,is swung on its pivot 125, swinging also its spring connected plate 124iuntil pendant arm'121 comes tor rest in aiverticalposition against astop, not: shown, with its low r end inpositio'nito be acted -upon by asecond trip 181 on the needle cylinder which latter lifts said arm andits connected cam y32 to raised operative position, and' it is heldlocked inl this position by `spring-pressed plate 12d` swinging-to -theposition shown in dotted lines to engage the stud 122 in the angularportion of' slot 123. This further movement of rocker arm 107 had nofurther ee'ct on cam 31 or itsoperating parts as spring 11?' resting onstud 115 merely gave without actionv as plate 113 was in locked positionagainst arm 110, and 'the latter was bearing againsta limiting stop toprevent its further swinging movement. After lever 102rides over lug100, spring 133 acts thereonto return rocker arm 107` to the positionshown `in Fig.y 5, restoring the cam operating parts to the 'positiontherein shown, ready for a similar operation again when lug 101 actsupon lever 102;

rfheabo've preferred means for operating t-he several cams of: theneedle cylinder to perform the sequence of required movements heretoforespecifically described to produce a desired drop-stitch pattern`stocking with the improved manner of raising the needles ofthe pairsinthe two half-circle series are all automatically effected` from thepattern drum; which latter however only preliminarily` sets the twolifter-cams and the medium-butt down-cam, the completion oftheiroperative movements being determined by cylinder-carried means sothat their entry between the paterns may be accurately timed.` Theparticulary mechanism described may of course ,be modified withoutdeparting from my invention, andthe pattern stripes may be varie-d asdesiredgand owing tothe needle cylinder having a` full set ofneedles,plain knit-l 'fabric may be produced at will.

What I' claim is:

1. In a circular knitting machinea needle y butted needles, and needleoperating mechanism comprising needle lowering means Veffectiveoperative upon said specially-butted needles only, pattern-controlledmeans for preliminarily setting said lowering means, andcylinder-carried means for completing the operative movement of saidlowering means.

y2. In a circular knitting machine, a needle cylinder provided withlcertain speciallybutted needles, and needle operating mechanismcomprising needle raising means effectively operative upon saidspeciallybutted needles only, pattern controlled mechanism forpreliminarily setting said raising means, and cylinder-carried means forcompleting the operative movement of said raising means. y i Y 3. In acircular yknitting machine, a needle cylinder providedv rwithcntain"speciallybuttedneedles, and needl'eoperating mechavmechanismcomprising means acting,y upon the butt ofone needle ofsaid pair toraise it into the knittting path, means acting upon the butt of theother needle of said pair to raise it into the knitting path,pattern-controlled means' for preliminarily setting said butt-actuatingmeansin successive rotations ofthe needle cylinder, andcylinder-carriedmeans for completi-ng the respective operative movementsAof said buttactuating means.

5. In a circular knitting machine, a needle cylinder .provided with apair'of needleshaving different butts,l andy needle operating mechanismcomprising means acting upon the butt of one needle of said pair toraise itl into the-knitting path, means acting upon the butt'of theother needle of said pair to raise it into the knitting path, and meansacting upon the butts of'both needles to jointly lower said pair out ofknitting action to form a drop-stitch pattern, pattern-coninev trolledmeans for preliminarily setting the respective butt-actuating meansindifferent rotations of the needle cylinderand cylin-` der-carried meansfor completing theoperative movement of each butt-actuating means.

6. In a circular knitting machine coniprisL ing two approzrimatelyhalf-circle `series of needles having longfbutts and short-buttsrespectively; a pair of needlesiirea'chof' sai-d half-circle serieshaving intermediate butts and one needle of said pairs having a bottombutt extension and both the needles in the pair in one series having aneXtra-butt; and needle operating mechanism comprising cams operable uponsaid needle butts at de-4 termined intervals to lower the needles inboth said series out of knitting action to form drop-stitch patterns,pattern-controlled means for preliminarily setting said cams, andcylinder-carried means for completing the operative movements of saidcams.

7. In a circular knitting machine comprising tivo approximatelyhalf-circle series of needles having long-butts and short-buttsrespectively-g a pair of needles in each of said half-circle serieshaving intermediate butts and one needle ot said pairs having a bottombutt extension and both the needles oi" the pair in one series having anextrabutt; and 'needle operating mechanism comprising cams operable uponsaid needle butts at determined intervals to raise into the knittingpath in one rotation ot the knitting cylinder the bottom-butt-extensionneedle ot the pair in one ot' said series and in a sueceeding rotationto raise the remaining needle oi' the pair in said series, patterncontrolled means for preliminarily setting said cams andcylinder-carried means for complet-ing the cam movements.

S. In a circular knitting machine comprising two approximatelyhalt-circle series ot needles having long-butts and short-buttsrespectively; a pair ot needles in each ot said halt-circle serieshaving intermediate butts and one needle of said pairs having a bottombutt extension and both the needles ot the pair in one series having anextralmtt; and needle operating mechanism adapted to raise into theknitting path the pair ot needles in one halt-circle series comprisingcams operable upon said needle butts at determined intervals to raiseinto the knitting path in one rotation ot the needle cylinder theneedles having a bottom-butt extension, and in a succeeding rotation toraise the remaining needles, and to re-lower out oit said path theneedles having an extra-butt before action thereon by the knitting cams,patterri-controlled means :tor preliminar-ily setting said cams, andcylinder-carried means tor completing the cam movements.

9. In a circular knitting machine comprising two approximatelyhalt-circle series ot' needles having long-butts and short buttsrespectively; a pair ot needles in each ot said halt-circle serieshaving intermediate butts and one needle of said pairs having a bottombutt extension and both the needles o'l" the pair in one series havingan extrabutt; and needle operating mechanism adapted to raise into theknitting path the pair of needles in one halt-circle series comprisingcams operable upon said needle butts at determined intervals to raiseinto the knitting path in one rotation of the needle cylinder theneedles having a bottombutt extension, and in a succeeding rotation toraise the remaining needles, and an extrabutt lowering cam adapted tore-lower out or" the knitting path the needles having an extra-buttbetere action thereon by the knitting cams, pattern-controlled means forsaid extra-butt lowering cam and for preliminarily setting each littercam, and cylindercarried trip-cams acting respectively on saidpreliminarily set lifter cams to complete their operative movements.

l0. ln a circular knitting machine comprising` two approximatelyhalt-circle series ot needles havin 'jf long-butts and short buttsrespectively: a needle in each halt-circle series having an intermediatebutt and said needle in the long-butt series having an extra-butt; andneedle operating` mechanism comprising an instep-cam actingl uponlong-butt needles only to raise them ln'eliminary to reciprocativcknitting. and an extra-butt litter cam adapted to equally raise theextra-butt needle.

ll. ln a circular knitting machine comprising two approximatelyhalt-circle series ot needles having long-butts and short-buttsrespectively: a needle in each halt-circle series having an intermediatebutt and said needle in the long-butt series having` an extra-butt; andneedle operating mechanism comprising an insteg-cam acting upon longbuttneedles only to raise them preliminary to reciprocative knitting. and anextra-butt li'lter cam adapted to equally raise the extrabutt needle.pattern-controlled means 'for moving said extra-butt am into the path otthe needle butts zitter the positioning movement ot said instep-cam. andcylindercarried means tor withdrawing said ,extrabutt cam preliminary tothe withdrawal movement of said instep-cam.

ln testimony whereot I aiiix my signature.

VILLIAM L. LENGL.

